I have had the same baseball cap for the last eighteen years. It is navy blue. I got it on a trip to Boston when I was twelve. It once said Harvard Crimson, but the writing faded about a year ago, and the bill is just beginning to split. It is the hat I was wearing when I was a first year at school and the guy I was in love with walked by, casually flicking it off of my head. You have to stop doing that, one of my classmates called after him. What? he asked, turning around. Knocking girls hats off their heads, she said, laughing. You have to stop.

Oh, I think he's doing a lot more than that, one of his classmates chuckled as he followed behind him. He was both right and wrong. It is the hat that saw me through high school and college and all of the years beyond. And I love it--still now, even as it may finally be time for a new one.

I believe in investing in worthy things. For years I bought ill-fitting clothes, and then for years I bought poorly made clothes (and for while, I bought both). Crappy, throwaway shoes, and cheap furniture that I only needed to last a few years were the order of the day.

When I was finding my way out of an eating disorder, I did so in large part by searching for a food ethos that was larger than the-pursuit-of -thin. Suddenly food became about a lifetime pursuit of health--for myself, and also, for the planet. It became about small changes adding up to big things. It became about forces and interests larger than my immediate satisfaction. And that value system provided some much needed perspective.

My parents came to visit back in November and we had a nearly perfect two days, which is a feat not easily achieved by people who are only occasionally keen on New York, and never totally wooed by it. We sat in the brisk fall air and sipped wine outside before consuming a totally lovely meal at Via Carota. We laughed through dinner while seated at a table so small and so cramped that our knees touched our chins, and our stools pressed up against the neighboring table. But the food was rich and my after-dinner-latte was massive and we were happy.

And it was during the day that my mother and I went to Heyday Spa (which is the facial's answer to Dry Bar). In the last ten years I have spent an inordinate amount of time (and money) trying to figure out how properly hydrate my skin. Well, it turns out when you are using products that are predominately composed of parabens and fillers, you're fighting a losing battle. Some women say handbags are their weakness. For others it's shoes. For me, it's skincare. Heyday turned me on to products that are organic, natural, and game-changers. One of the brands (One Love Organics) has a motto of the "luxury of less" and I couldn't agree more (they also hold the Gold Certified Business Seal of Approval by Green America, which recognizes companies that "set the highest standards in environmental sustainability and social justice"). The products Heyday turned me onto (which after five months have totally changed the texture of my skin ) are in the mid-range price point (so, comparable to the cost of Clinique, let's say).

I believe in skin care because it is part of investing in one's health. And because it is self-care, pure and simple.

I'm writing all this because I want to share with you all what I'm really digging right now (and what I imagine I'll be digging years from now). But I wanted to do it at a time of the year far removed from holiday gift guides because I don't want to push consumerism for the sake of consumerism. I truly believe in investing in less, but investing in better. (And none of this is sponsored. Though, if you do go into Heyday for a facial, tell them I sent you {not my blog, but me--use my name} and we'll both get ten dollars off and I will be wildly grateful).

1. One Love Organic's Vitamin B Enzyme: this stuff is bananas. It is the most luxurious thing I have ever put on my face. You sort of have to try it to understand. Just trust me on this one.

2. One Love Organics Skin Savior: Makeup remover, moisturizer or mask. I stand by the fact that this feels like candy for the face. And when I get a hankering for sugar (which by now is pretty well documented that I try to avoid), I reach for this stuff.

3. Image Daily Ultimate Protection: We can all agree that skincare, in many ways, really begins and ends with sun protection, no? Well, this stuff is a moisturizer with an SPF. A moisturizer WITH--it's not simply a sunscreen (which means it feels and smell amazing and is a treat to put on).

4. JOCO Cups: It is also well documented that I love coffee. And I order it out, often. Well, disposable coffee cups are the second largest contributors to landfills behind plastic bottles (and on a separate and alarming note, it's thought that as the heat moves through the plastic lid we're actually consuming harmful chemicals). So in an effort to be a little bit better to the environment this year I turned to JOCO Cups, an Australian company, that makes reusable glass coffee cups. I have the mid-size and keep it with me at work. So while everyone else goes through several paper cups in a day, I refill my one class mug. And if I venture out for coffee, I stick it in my purse and bring it with me.

5. lucy Activewear: Before the holidays my mother bought a pullover from the activewear store lucy and couldn't stop talking about it. So over Christmas we logged onto their website and each ordered an item. I've never been a huge believer in higher-end activewear (I got a few things from Lululemon a few years ago and was really not impressed), but I am now. The cloth of my pullover feels unlike any item of clothing I've ever before owned. It is soft and doesn't pill. In fact, I've worn it nearly every night for going on three months and it feels just like the day I got it. Also, lucy is one of the brands housed under VFC--a company dedicated to environmental sustainability in production, as well as social responsibility.

Look, I'm not saying any one of these companies is perfect (spoiler alert, perfection doesn't exist), but I do love their products, and I love their ethos, and I do believe small changes add up.

So if you treat yo self this month--and shouldn't you every month?--and are looking to invest in better products, I humbly offer you these.